


Shovel Talk

by Thei



Series: Babysitting [5]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: (Steve can relate), (kinda), (less secret than they'd like), (which is not an easy thing to do but Billy pulls it off), Babysitting, Billy is laying it all out there while still being a little shit, Confessions, Dustin is a brave kid, Established Relationship, Fluff, Harringrove, M/M, Shovel Talk, also cats low-key loves Billy, and he regrets everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 10:38:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17242742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thei/pseuds/Thei
Summary: Dustin straightened up and cleared his throat.“I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here today”, he started, formally, and then said nothing else.“Uh”, Steve said. “Sure?”Dustin's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, before he seemed to steel himself. He turned to Billy and blurted, “What are your intentions with Steve?”





	Shovel Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Unapologetically unbeta'd!

Steve had always liked Mrs Henderson. She had always seemed to be such a warm and happy person, that he simply couldn't help himself; if he saw her in town, he'd say hello, and if he met her at the store, there was a big chance he'd help her carry her groceries to her car. So Steve had endeared himself to Mrs Henderson long before he started hanging out with her son.

When he basically adopted Dustin as a little brother, though, that's when he climbed to the top of the list of Mrs Henderson's favorite people. Especially as Steve didn't mind keeping an eye on Dustin during the few times when Mrs Henderson needed a babysitter.

Which was the case right now.

“I can't tell you how grateful I am, Steve”, she said over the phone. “My sister really has the worst of luck – breaking her leg like that, and with her husband out of the country! And Dustin doesn't want to come with me, of course. He'd rather stay at home with his friends, he's in that age when it's not cool to visit your aunt, I suppose. But he'll be delighted that you're coming over! I'll make sure to leave some cookies out for the two of you.”

Mrs Henderson, Steve suspected, was trying to fatten him up. She always seemed to have newly baked goods when he came over, and more often than not he came home afterwards with leftovers.

He smiled into the phone. “It's no problem, Mrs Henderson, it'll be fun. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes, I'll see you tomorrow, thanks again.”

They said their goodbyes, and Steve went back upstairs. Only a couple of minutes passed, though, before the phone rang again. This time when Steve replied, it was Dustin on the other end.

“Did mom ask you to babysit tomorrow?” he asked without preamble.

“Hello to you too”, Steve muttered. “Yeah, why? Did she change her mind?”

“No, she ... uh … I wanted to ask if ...”

Dustin trailed off, but Steve wouldn't have it. “Well? Spit it out.”

“Can you bring Billy tomorrow?”

Steve stared, but of course Dustin couldn't see him. “I'm sorry, what? I must have misheard you, because it sounded like you said that you wanted me to bring Billy to your house tomorrow.”

“That's what I said!”

“But ... why? You hate him!”

Dustin spluttered. “I don't _hate_ him, Steve, I just-“

“You say that you hate him just about every time you see him.”

“Well maybe things have _changed_ , Steve!” Dustin exclaimed, and continued in a much lower voice, “Or maybe they haven't. I don't know.”

Steve wasn't sure if he was meant to have heard that or not. “What?”

“Look, can you bring him or not?”

Steve dragged a hand through his hair. “I mean, I can ask him, but ... Why do you want him to come?”

“I have to ask him something.”

“But wh–“

“Okay Steve, thanks, I'll see you guys tomorrow!”

“Uh, okay, bye?” Steve said, but Dustin had already hung up on him.

Steve closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before glancing at his watch. It was still too early for Neil to have gotten home from work. He might as well call Billy right away and ask if he wanted to come to the Hendersons tomorrow, for whatever reason.

 

The next day, around lunch, Billy picked Steve up in his Camaro, and drove them both over to Dustin's house. Or, as Billy said, “ _Mrs Henderson's house_ , Steve. I doubt that Dustin owns it.”

They rang the doorbell, and Mrs Henderson opened the door and brightened when she saw that it was Steve.

“Steve, you're here!” Then she spotted Billy, and her smile didn't dim one bit. “And you brought your friend! William, was it?”

“Billy, ma'am”, Billy said with a smile.

“Welcome, both of you. Don't just stand there, come in, come in ...” She ushered them inside while she kept talking. “I really should be going, but I'm glad you got here before I had to go. Dustin's in his room–" She turned her back to them to yell down the hallway; “Dustin! Your friends are here!” And then she bent down and picked up a cat who had appeared by her feet, only to distractedly hand it to Steve to hold while she put her coat on.

Steve found himself with an armful of resisting cat, and looked over to see Billy grin at him. He mouthed ‘help me’ when Mrs Henderson wasn't looking, while trying to keep the cat from clawing his face. Billy rolled his eyes, but easily plucked the cat from Steve's grip and started scratching it on its head. The cat immediately calmed down and made itself comfortable in Billy's arms. Steve would be jealous, if he didn't know first-hand how calming Billy's hands could be. When Mrs Henderson saw Billy with her cat, she absolutely melted – Steve could _see_ it. And, glancing over, he had to admit that his boyfriend and his new fuzzy friend painted a pretty picture. (He made a mental note to tell Billy, later. Nothing annoyed Billy as much as being called 'cute', and he was even cuter with his feathers ruffled.)

Dustin appeared in the hallway, looking surly at the sight of Billy. Steve half-expected a comment along the lines of “He's not my friend!” or something, since Dustin was normally very vocal about his dislike of Billy, but to his surprise, the only thing he said this time was; “I thought you were in a hurry, mom?”

Mrs Henderson, who was currently cooing over the cat that Billy was holding, blinked at this and glanced at her watch.

“Oh dear, yes, I really should be on my way. There's freshly baked cookies in the kitchen, and I made a pie that you can have for dinner – it’s in the fridge.”

She whirled around the hallway and picked up her bag before rounding on Dustin and smacking a big kiss on his forehead. Then she turned to Steve and patted him affectionately on the cheek, before doing the same to Billy.

“You boys have fun now, and I'll be back tonight. Bye!”

And then she was out the door, leaving three silent boys in her wake. Steve glanced over at Billy – the blonde had reached up to touch the cheek where Mrs Henderson just patted him, and he looked confused.

And _adorable_ , but Steve didn't say that out loud – he had _some_ survival instinct, after all.

Dustin didn't seem to find him adorable in the least, though. He was glaring between Steve and Billy, and when Steve met his eyes and opened his mouth to ask why they were even here, Dustin let out a long-suffering sigh and said, “Follow me”.

He turned and walked into the living room. Steve and Billy looked at each other and then followed him; Billy still holding the cat.

Dustin placed himself on a high chair, and motioned for them to sit in the sofa on the other side of the coffee table. Steve noticed that it placed them at about the same height, and wondered if it was intentional.

When they had sat down, and Billy had gotten comfortable with the cat in his lap, Dustin straightened up and cleared his throat.

“I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here today”, he started, formally, and then said nothing else.

“Uh”, Steve said. “Sure?”

Dustin's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, before he seemed to steel himself. He turned to Billy and blurted, “What are your intentions with Steve?”

Everyone froze.

Steve held his breath and stared at Dustin, Dustin looked ready to bolt at any time but – to his credit – didn't take his eyes off Billy, and Billy himself stared back at Dustin with an unreadable expression. None of them moved until the cat apparently got impatient, and head-butted Billy's hand to make him resume his petting duties. Billy absent-mindedly did.

“What are you talking about?” he said, sounding as casual as ever. But Steve _knew_ him; he heard the tremor in his voice and knew that it meant that Billy was freaking out, so he discreetly put his hand on Billy's leg to calm him down.

Only, of course Dustin noticed, and stared pointedly at Steve's hand. “Cut the crap.”

“Hey, language!”

Dustin ignored him. “You know what I'm talking about. You've been ... you've been _compromising_ Steve, and I want to know what your intentions are with him!”

Steve spluttered. “Compr– _What_? Dustin, I'm not a damsel in distress!”

Dustin kept ignoring him; probably emboldened by his lack of being dead already, he leaned forward in his chair – the poor thing was undoubtedly trying to be intimidating – and pointed his finger at Billy.

“Because I'll have you know that if you're ... if you're just _playing with his feelings_ , that's a real shit thing to do. And if you hurt him, I'll ... I'll hurt you, too! I _know_ people!”

“ _Dustin_!” Steve admonished, aghast. He couldn't believe this was happening. This was so surreal. He was gonna kill the kid, if Billy didn't beat him to it.

To his eternal surprise, though, Billy didn't move from his seat. He actually seemed to relax back against the cushions, and when Steve glanced over he saw that although Billy's eyes were narrowed, he was also suppressing a smile.

“You really wanna know my intentions, kid?”

Dustin looked grim, but nodded.

The cat twisted in Billy's lap, and Billy started running his fingers through the fur on its belly (and Steve was _not_ jealous of a cat) while it started purring loudly. When Billy spoke next, he didn't look away from Dustin.

“I intend on spending as much time with Steve as possible, for as long as he'll let me.”

Steve's thoughts screeched to a halt, and he turned his head and stared at his boyfriend, slack-jawed as Billy continued.

“I intend on getting the hell out of this town eventually, and take Steve with me – but if he wants to stay here, I'll stay, too. I will stand between him and anyone who wants to do him harm, but I'll never get between him and the people who are important to him. Steve is the most important person in my life, and I'd do just about anything for him. I would die for him and I would kill for him, but if he ever wanted me to leave, I would do so in a heartbeat, just because he asked me to."

Steve couldn't breathe. He felt heat rising in his cheeks, and he couldn't take his eyes off Billy, who was still staring Dustin down.

“I would rather kill myself than hurt him again. And if I have any say in the matter, I intend on spending the rest of my life with him – if he'll have me.”

Billy sounded serious. Steve had never heard him sound so serious before. And a second later, when the words Billy said sank in, Steve felt ... overwhelmed. Overcome with some kind of emotion that he couldn't define. His heart felt too big for his chest, and he didn’t know if he wanted to hide his blush behind a pillow, or jump into Billy’s lap and kiss him senseless. Possibly both.

“And if you're asking for my more _immediate_ intentions”, Billy continued, and now there was a familiar purr in his voice that usually meant trouble, “then I intend to take him home to his big and empty house tonight, and as soon as we get inside I'm going to push him up against the door and blow him until he can't see straight. Then, I'll take him upstairs and let him–“

“Ok _ay_!” Dustin shouted at the same time as Steve threw out a hand to put it over Billy's mouth, suddenly mortified. He could _feel_ Billy smirking under his hand.

“Okay, Jesus Christ ...” Dustin was squirming in his seat, face beet red. He wouldn't look any of them in the eye.

Steve's face was probably as red, too. He cautiously removed his hand from Billy's face, and Billy asked, “Does that answer your question?”, as if what he'd said was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I regret _everything_ ”, Dustin muttered and slunk off his chair. “ _Yes_ , you monster. God, please never talk to me again.” He turned his back to leave them when Billy smirked.

“You asked.”

“And now I regret it!”

“Let that be a lesson then, kid. Don't invite trouble you're not prepared for.”

Dustin just groaned, and Billy looked like the cat who got the cream.

Speaking of inviting. Steve had to know. “You could have asked this any time. Why did you want him to come _here_ , _now_?” When they were stuck together under the same roof for several awkward hours, until Mrs Henderson came home. Ugh, this was shaping up to be a _long day_.

Dustin threw out his arms in frustration, clearly wanting to leave but at the same time reluctant to leave the two of them alone in his living room after everything he’d just learned.

“I thought he was less likely to kill me in my own home, okay?!”

“Well that's just stupid”, Billy commented. “Don't you know that most people who are murdered are killed at home?”

Steve and Dustin both turned towards him, gaping, until Dustin shook himself out of staring and answered, voice tinted with hysteria, “No, but _now_ I do! _What?! Why do you even know that?_ ”

Billy calmly scratched the cat under its chin and shrugged. “I read.”

Dustin gave Steve a look that said 'can you believe this guy' before he looked up, took a deep breath, and then stalked off into the hallway.

“Dustin!” Steve said, feeling bad. He was supposed to look after him, after all.

“ _No_ , Steve! I need to be alone! Holy crap ...”

They could hear him stomping off and muttering until a door slammed shut in the other end of the house. Only silence followed.

The silence was _loud_. Steve glanced over, but only got so far as to the cat in Billy's lap, and Billy's fingers carding through its fur. The cat looked pleased as pie, and Steve imagined that Billy had a similar expression on his face. He was therefore surprised – when he finally gathered enough courage to look up – when he found Billy looking ... nervous. Eyes flickering between Steve's face, the cat, and the floor.

“Did you mean it?” Steve eventually asked, voice low.

Billy licked his lips and lifted one shoulder. “About the blowjob? Sure. I–“

“Billy.”

Billy bit his lip. When he spoke again, it was almost a whisper. “Every word.”

He wouldn't look at Steve, and Steve suddenly wanted nothing but to look him in the eyes. Gently, he reached out and turned Billy's face towards him.

“I mean”, Billy babbled, “sure, I wanted to stick it to the kid but ...” He shrugged. “What I said? I mean, you knew all that stuff already, anyway. Right?”

And finally, finally he looked up, eyes impossibly sincere. Steve felt like he could drown in them.

“Right”, he said softly, and saw Billy sag in relief in front of him. “I mean, I didn't know that part about the murders, but ...”

“Shut up”, Billy murmured and leaned in for a kiss. Steve was more than happy to comply, especially when Billy's hands ended up gently holding his face, as if Steve was something precious.

“Me too”, he whispered, and Billy made a tiny noise in the back of his throat and kissed him again. The cat decided it had had enough and jumped off Billy’s lap, which suited Steve just fine as that meant he could lean even closer without the risk of getting scratched.

They were rudely interrupted by a groan from the doorway.

“Oh my god, _stop being gross on my couch_!”

They sprung apart, and Steve could feel his face heat up again – but this time he watched Billy, and saw that his cheeks, too, were tainted pink. God, he loved it when he could get Billy to blush.

“Dustin! Um … ”

“I have opened Pandora's box and I _have so many regrets_!” Dustin lamented, and added on his way to the kitchen; “No cookies for you guys! I’m taking all of them. You don’t deserve them.”

Steve and Billy looked down. Billy was biting his lip, and Steve could feel a hysteric laughter bubble up from his chest.

“We should probably go talk to him ... ask him not to say anything to anyone ...”

“Yeah, no”, Billy said. “If you don't want him to squeal, you should probably ask him alone. If I'm there, he'll tell everyone out of spite.”

“No, he–“, Steve started saying, but then he thought about it for less than a second and changed his mind. “Yeah, you're right.” He stood up. “I'll be right back.”

Billy stretched out in the sofa. “Bring me back some cookies.”

**Author's Note:**

> One more! I couldn't decide between shovel talk and love confessions and suddenly both of them happened in the same fic so. Yeah. I'm not even sorry. Happy New Year, everyone!


End file.
